Composition and methods of treatment of bacterial meningitis

Abstract

A diluted solution of ceftiofur sodium is intrathecally or ventricularly delivered to effectively treat bacterial meningitis while maintaining the patient's threshold and reducing the likelihood of seizure.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The invention relates to a treatment of bacterial meningitis.[0003]2. Description of the Related Art[0004]Pathogens, including bacteria, viruses and fungi, are normally kept out of the body's central nervous system (CNS) by two unique anatomical features commonly referred to as the blood-brain barrier (BBB), FIGS. 1 and 2, and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (CSFB), FIG. 3. As a result bacterial infections are an infrequent occurrence, usually induced by severe systemic infections or trauma, but are serious and difficult to treat when they do occur.[0005]The BBB and CSFB impede movement of most constituents of the blood into the brain (and cerebrospinal fluid) and are essential for the normal CNS function. In addition to serving as a barrier limiting access of pathogens (including viruses and fungi) they also limit access of cellular elements of the blood (lymphocytes, monocytes and neutrophils) and most antibodie...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016]These and other problems are solved by the present invention of a composition and method of treatment that circumvents the BBB and the CSFB at dose levels effective in the treatment of a meningitis, while at the same time, avoiding massive doses by an oral, intravenous, or subcutaneous route of administration, thereby minimizing any untoward side-effects or other undesirable reactions. According to one aspect of the invention a composition consists essentially of ceftiofur sodium diluted with a buffer in solution to a concentration of about 3 mg / ml. Preferably, the buffer consists essentially of phosphate buffered saline or ringers lactate solution.

Problems solved by technology

As a result bacterial infections are an infrequent occurrence, usually induced by severe systemic infections or trauma, but are serious and difficult to treat when they do occur.

In addition to serving as a barrier limiting access of pathogens (including viruses and fungi) they also limit access of cellular elements of the blood (lymphocytes, monocytes and neutrophils) and most antibodies and antibiotics from entering the CNS.

If not properly treated, bacterial meningitis may cause blindness, deafness, learning disabilities, brain damage, and death.

Heretofore, no effective treatment has been found for bacterial meningitis, although the mainstay of current treatment for bacterial meningitis is heavy antibiotic therapy.

The antibiotics must be administered systemically at high doses, due to their relative inability to cross the blood-brain barrier.

The major obstacle to developing drugs for the CNS is the physiology and structure of the CNS itself.

However, not only does the BBB keep out harmful elements, it is also nearly impenetrable to many antibiotics.

Ceftiofur sodium is ineffective when taken orally because it remains in the intestine and does not disseminate in the body.

However, high does of the Cephalosporin class of drugs are known to result in seizures, if present in the CNS.

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